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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · stem · clip · lean · bark · shower · safe · calf

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bark — to shout
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. clip — a video
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — for paper
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. shower — rain
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. shower — to wash
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. mouse — for a computer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com